Hoax or Political Statement at Haverford?

Submitted by Scott Jaschik on February 6, 2013 - 4:19am

A Haverford College student sent an e-mail to many on campus in the name of the interim president, Joanne Creighton, falsely announcing that the college would apply need-blind admissions policies and providing generous financial aid to those who lack the documentation to live legally in the United States, Philadelphia Magazine[1] reported. The student created a Gmail account in the president's name for the announcement. The student is denying that the e-mail was an act of fraud, which could be seen as violating the college's honor code. On a website the student created, he explained the fake e-mail as a political act.[2] When the e-mail in the interim president's name went out, he wrote, "The World As It Is and The World As It Should Be met for a brief second and said hello. They took a good look at each other and the World As It Should Be said, 'It pains me to look at you- so ugly, hateful, and unfair you are. Why don’t you accept me? Let’s be one in the same.' But The World As It Is decided this was not to be and yelled out, 'You are a fraud! How dare you show yourself?! I am The World As It Is, and we are indefinitely separate and different!'"